Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

4.03 AVERAGE

michaeldionne's review against another edition

Should be read if you are a: parent, millennial, pastor, Christian, teacher, politician, American, or human. Excellent, powerful, well-written, in succinct, powerful prose.
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astakolafs's review against another edition

4.0
Recommended for everyone.
I would love to read a modern take like this that includes the internet/smartphones.

laerun's review against another edition

4.5
informative reflective fast-paced

jennarebekah's review against another edition

4.5
informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

angotta's review against another edition

5.0
“For in the end, he was trying to tell us that what afflicted the people in Brave New World was not that they were laughing instead of thinking, but that they did not know what they were laughing about and why they had stopped thinking”

Written in 1985 this book has become somehow MORE applicable to the TikTok, Facebook, social media and disposable entertainment industry of today than it was to the world it was written for.

timsumerlin's review against another edition

4.5
informative reflective medium-paced
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callum7's review against another edition

4.5
informative reflective medium-paced

aleciahiggford's review against another edition

5.0
I think everyone should read this - can't tell you how many times something from the book pops into my head on a daily basis. To sit around watching hours of reality TV instead of doing any of the wonderfully useful, caring, human-connection activities we are capable of is particularly distressing to me! And always in the background of my mind, the idea that American schools are failing, why they are failing, what are we to do about it..? How about less time spent amusing ourselves into a state of mindlessness and apathy? I read Brave New World afterwards, based on the prologue in this edition. I am completely no fun at all at the moment. One of those "thought-provoking" question prompts I'd answered in years past also bubbled to the surface: would you rather be a tortured intellectual or ignorantly bliss? I think I'll go dig in the garden and mediatate on it.
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aawarren's review against another edition

5.0
funny informative reflective fast-paced
Absolutely hilarious writing style + informative is a win for me. Which is an ironic take for this book but it is true. 

sambailey's review against another edition

3.75
funny informative reflective sad medium-paced